A Win-Win For Children And Teens

Summer Food Service Program Set To Feed Youth Over Summer Months

Here’s a way to help a child enjoy summer: provide a good meal every day.

More than 400,000 Maryland children are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals, but they may not have access to nutritious meals during the summer when schools are closed. The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) is a federally-funded, state-administered program to assist public and private nonprofit organizations in serving free, nutritious meals to children and teens during the summer months. The SFSP provides healthful meals and plays a vital role in reducing childhood hunger when schools are not in session

The SFSP provides reimbursement to organizations for meals and snacks served to children in areas where at least 50 percent of the children qualify for free or reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch Program or when 50 percent of the children enrolled in a program qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Most organizations may be reimbursed for up to two meals or snacks per child per day. Camps, migrant programs, and some other sites may be reimbursed for up to three meals per child each day. Meals and snacks must meet federal meal pattern requirements.

The Program is available to children and teens as well as individuals 19 years of age and over who have a mental or physical disability and who participate during the school year in a public or private non-profit school program.

To locate a meal provider, visit: https://mars.msde.maryland.gov/mars_sitesearch/

Click on 2019 sites tab and enter your zip code in the search box.